North Fork Island

So what are you doing on North Fork, Long Island?

It is a noticeable displacement, even if you choose the Long Island Rail Road, which drags travellers from an annoyed Penn Station to the port side Greenport Station, their final station in the North Fork. Far beyond Brooklyn and Queens (which form the west boundary of Long Island), you will find major streets bordered by vast farmlands, first-class vines, picturesque villages and historical harbours - and all streets take you to the coastline.

Whatever, the North Fork is gaining momentum. The Long Island's East End is divided into shredded peninsulae, a north and a south fork. Opposite Peconic Bay, the North Fork is rounded off by the quieter Long Island sound. It has a long vegetation period - the longest in the north-east - compared to Bordeaux, which is soaked in a temperate environment with well-drained, clayey soils.

But in the last millennium, the South Fork claimed the masses of humans while sunning itself on the Atlantic - and the Hamptons were boasting. When the South Fork is the place to stare at other people's cash, the North Fork is the place to stare at their pay. During most of the last part of the last millennium, this land was the main source of income for the North Fork; the farmers dominated the land, of which the biggest role was played by the potato and the duck, which enabled the North Fork to build up a stable wholesaling operation.

The first vines of the North Fork were planted in the 1970s, and a vine growing landscape blossomed gradually for centuries and became the visiting map of the area. Many Manhattan cooks have been attracted to the North Fork after the farm-to-table motion shed lights on it and have recently opened a restaurant that captures the taste of the area.

North Fork' first bio farming is often the first choice of local people for everything from micro-green to the freshest gingerbread, colourful carsrots and rasberries. While it may be rustic, the North Fork is home to the rarest stores thanks to a variety of upmarket antiques stores. North Found & Co. works like a show room for the decorator, with expensive articles that range from ancient Maroccan carpets to unique mugs.

A North Fork tour without a taste of some of the locals' favourite grapes would be like a trip to an entertainment centre without the pleasure of the ride. A North Fork Table & Inn grocery van is parked near the degustation room on Fridays and uses the estate's meat in decades-old hamburgers. Not many can refuse a trip to Southold's Croteaux Vineyards, the only North Fork cellar dedicated solely to rasé which is all housed in a stylish atrium.

The North Fork table: Attracted by the qualities of the high grade raw materials and the numerous vineyards, gifted cooks have set off for the North Fork, where they open pickets that alternate with native talents. For an understanding of where the trumpet started, take a look at North Fork Tables & Inn. A little over 10 years ago, the opening was a groundbreaking event in the North Fork cuisine.

Two years ago, the James Beard Award winner cook died, but his protégée - a North Forker by birth - is now taking over the rein. Then you can have dinner at Fork & Anchor in East Marion, where owner Lucy Muellner and Erin Johnson transformed a 1900s shop into a delicatessen with homemade dressings and a bunch of good food, from homemade coffees to beers.

Taste the well-loved Crispy Chicken sandwiches with the typical Sriracha mayonnaise, available alone or in a pick nick pit when you go to the water. Situated on a quiet secluded sandy spot with views of the Long Island sounds. North Fork has become a favourite week-end recreation, but a really trendy resort has not been there so far.

Type in the soundview. This former motetel from the middle of the 19th and early 20th centuries - a symbol of the region - is now equipped with light, refined elements that surround its attraction: All 55 rooms have a view of a secluded sandy area. There are no basses at sundown, as the gold moment above the tone tends to swell in pinks, purples and oranges.

The North Fork Guesthouse is a refreshing cottage with charme from the front to the back, just outside the picturesque Cutchogue. There are three rooms on the upper floor of the historical house, all with private bathroom, which are light and cosy (think of pillow cases and soft furnishings in a quiet range of wood flooring, clean floral and plain textured textiles), while the owner, enthusiastic bikers themselves, know the location of the countryside well - and want to help you to discover it.